Nothing to prove but Leinster must get back in the groove
IT’S too early to begin speaking about second season syndrome, but Leinster need a big performance this evening. The reigning champions made a massive statement of intent on the opening night of the tournament with a 52-3 demolition of Wasps. The rest of Europe stood back in awe that night. The province were being hailed as the greatest European side of all time.
Leo Cullen’s men have been doing it tough ever since.
They were ambushed by a firedup Toulouse on a Sunday afternoon before last weekend’s trench warfare in Bath, a 17-10 win secured thanks to Jordan Larmour’s crucial intercept try.
The torrential conditions and heavy pitch served as something of a leveller last time out at the Rec. The forecast is positively biblical ahead of this evening’s kick-off at Lansdowne Road, however, so it looks like Leinster are going to have to slug it out again.
This squad will lean heavily on the experiences of last season’s double-header with Exeter. Leinster emerged victorious on both occasions but had to go to dark places to grind out both results.
The most memorable moment was Jack Conan’s try in the dying moments at Sandy Park. That 71st-minute score killed off the hosts after 44 punishing phases of attack. Leinster may need the same patience and aggression to wear down the visitors this evening.
‘We’re trying to add different strings to the game all the time,’ said Cullen yesterday. ‘We need to understand that sometimes you need to roll your sleeves up and do what needs to be done on any given day.
‘It’s not our intention, we go out to play with attacking intent all the time but even in the game last year, it was both teams going fully at it. It was an unbelievably physical affair.
‘That’s what people want to come and see as well. There wasn’t that many tries in the game last year, we scored one and Exeter scored two, but it was a pretty enthralling game. It was a great advert for the game, the way both sets of players went at the game.
‘That’s what we expect again, we expect the same from Bath.
‘We know that they are under a different type of pressure for themselves and we saw how that manifested itself in last week’s performance again and we expect something very, very similar.’
Conan’s return at No8 should boost Leinster’s power reserves in that regard. Cullen’s men lost far too many collisions last time out. Dan Leavy’s shift to the blindside alongside Josh van der Flier is very much a nod of respect towards Bath’s breakdown technicians Francois Louw and Sam Underhill.
That pair wreaked havoc last time out and will nullifying their twin threat will be top of the agenda this evening.
Speaking of the visitors, Todd Blackadder promised his side would go ‘full metal jacket’ for this return fixture. Bath are winless after three rounds and have the slimmest of chances of progressing from Pool 1. Talk of Blackadder bringing a shadow side to Dublin to focus on domestic matters proved conjecture. Save for injured England wing Joe Cokanasiga – a massive loss – the visitors arrive fully loaded for this evening’s rematch. If the Premiership outfit can replicate the intensity they brought to proceedings last time out and get the likes of Jamie Roberts, Henry Thomas and Dave Attwood into the game early, this could be another war of attrition.
Leavy and Van der Flier will be entrusted to blitz as many rucks as possible with Conan on board to get over the gainline and give Leinster the precious go-forward ball they lacked last weekend.
Cian Healy, Tadhg Furlong and James Ryan put in monstrous shifts in Bath and similar displays will be needed again.
Rob Kearney’s injury-enforced absence opens the door for Jordan Larmour to continue his apprenticeship at fullback.
Larmour did not have the best of days in the No 15 shirt in Toulouse and he endured a difficult evening at fu-llback against Argentina last month, but these are the sort of games he needs to develop.
First and foremost, Larmour must perform the basic duties in the backfield: fielding and positioning will be paramount in difficult conditions.
There is no doubt that he offers a far more potent attacking threat than Kearney in what looks like an exciting back three alongside James Lowe and the recalled Adam Byrne.
It almost a year since Byrne last started a game in Europe and he is joined by Rory O’Loughlin, who has recovered from a knee ligament injury to take his place at inside centre.
‘Adam has worked hard, he’s gone away, he’s looked incredibly sharp the last couple of games he’s played,’ said Cullen.
‘It’s a great opportunity for him
to produce. Rory is the same. Both of those guys have gone well in the games so we’ve full confidence that both will go well again. If they go well on the big days, it’s another positive dilemma for us as coaches.’
Robbie Henshaw has left a seismic void in this Leinster squad. Noel Reid’s lack of physical presence was exposed in Bath so Cullen has turned O’Loughlin to add some ballast. It is an unfamiliar position for the 24-year-old but having Johnny Sexton and Garry Ringrose – making his 50th appearance – on either side will be crucial.
‘He’s played a lot of games at centre. We’ve a lot of confidence in him, that relationship with Garry on the outside and Johnny on the inside as well,’ added Cullen.
The time for talk is over. Leinster will be looking to get back in the groove, beginning with some capital punishment this evening.